Sound Engineering

Posted on 20 May 2022 @ 9:10pm by Lieutenant Tobias Hirsh & Lieutenant Elli-Navine
Edited on on 20 Jun 2022 @ 7:18pm

Mission: M3 - Into the Deep
Location: OC, Promenade, Obsidian Oasis
Timeline: Backpost
1297 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

The Oasis was not that busy. Sattie Krisk briefly paused outside of the hole-in-the-wall bar to look back down along the promenade at the line going around the corner waiting for a table at some place called The Supper Club. Meanwhile there was a very lively band and men and women in tropical outfits passing out real flowery leis while waving clientele into some place called Hula Pete's. They seemed to be having a lot of success siphoning off the waiting line from The Supper Club. The music from both clashed in the center way, and there appeared a security detail of very green looking junior noncoms taking what she guessed were decibel readings. With a crowd like that to serve for the night, Sattie guessed they’d probably just pay the fines and carry on as they were, trying to drown out the competition.

For a moment she considered ditching, but she’d told her department head from the Potemkin that she would be at the bar. A few of the guys from engineering came as well. She noticed them ordering drinks while the band was playing some mediocre numbers from a tired lineup. Sattie accepted a house ale, which was an authentic Kalaran brew, at least. She hadn’t met an inhabited planet yet that didn’t offer a fermented beverage to numb the senses.

Sitting back Sattie looked over the band. There was a pair of what looked like Andorian sisters, one on a kind of keyboard contraption and the other with a double necked stringed instrument. They had some skill but not a lot of heart. The young, human drummer with the spiked hair was wilder than most, which was saying quite a bit as drummers went. He seemed to tire of whatever number they were running after a chorus or so and then fly off on his own creative interpretation. Meanwhile, there was the hunk on bass— an easy on the eyes beefy Grazerite who carried on with his playing, occasionally contributing to vocals with his equally bassy voice. Sattie was a little jealous he’d already taken a shine to Lieutenant Clueless.

Self aware of her own envy, Sattie sat up as her department head took the seat opposite of her. Elli had changed out of her uniform and into a well worn in service jumper covered in hand stitching and old grease stains. Clearly the woman didn’t understand about dressing up and getting out. Sattie was an engineer like the rest of them, but had still opted for a fresh coat of face paint and something a little feminine for a change. It was shore leave after all and she wasn’t going to mind if someone took notice of her.

“Did I miss anything?” Elli sat down with two more ales, handing Sattie a follow up.

“Not much.” Sattie shouted over what passed for a band. “Thanks, I think the music likely gets better the higher your blood alcohol level is.” It seemed to her the bassist perked up as Elli arrived, although it was hard to say from his easy posture. Either the songs were getting more complicated or he was embellishing the bass lines.

Sattie’s head couldn’t take much more of the musical cacophony, and the noise blocked out much socializing otherwise. “Hey,” She said to Elli, getting her to lean in over the table. “Want to go bar hopping with me? We can try out every place that’s serving this end of the Promenade.”

“I like it here, fine enough.”

“Yeah, bet you do.” Sattie pursed her lips, thinking. Most of the other folks here were the ones Sattie herself had invited, and she didn’t want to hook up with anyone from work. “How about I try out Hula Pete’s and you can come along later, after the set.” If things didn’t work out otherwise. Sattie kind of didn’t expect Elli to land her big fish though. He’d sat with her all afternoon and the woman hadn’t looked up from her Quantum Physics for Geniuses reading even once to say hello to him.

Elli’s doe eyes grew in a panic while Sattie collected herself to go and the band seemed to finish the number on cue.

“We’re going to take a break. Keep it on ice for fifteen,” the Andorian guitarist said as she slipped her instrument over her head.

Tobias stayed on the end of the room that served as a stage, absorbed in what looked like a hunt for something among the sound equipment. Elli watched him with interest and then turned back to tell Sattie something… but her co-worker was already outside accepting a flower lei from a man in a Hawaiian shirt.

“Elli, do you sense the buzz too?” Tobias was asking her.
“Yeah, I mean, you’re using a k300-icemax. Most people use wireless gear, you know. That buzz is practically from my horns through my teeth.” She confirmed.

"It's not my gear, it's the ice sisters." Tobias looked taken aback. “Besides, I thought you were into Quantum Mechanics.”

“Well." She said coyly, "I like old stuff too.” She worked her way onto the side of the set where the mixing equipment was and stroked the metallic coverlet on the top strip, feeling the embossed logo. “I refurbished one of these Andorian units in highschool for a friend.”

“Did you get rid of the buzz, though?”

She pulled a multitool out of her deep pockets and went through the holo settings. The little end of the tool kept re-forming, cycling through standard andorian fastener formats until she visually matched it to the particular size and form of the bolt heads holding the back of the unit together.

“Now that’s a handy thing to have on you.”

Elli knew she only had to scan the fastener with the end of the holo unit, like a little penlight, for it to self select the right driver. But she was showing off a little. “My commanding officer gifted it to me.” She bragged. “It’s a little more extra than the pre-programmed multitools.”

“A little.” Tobias echoed while he watched her petite hands pry off the panel.

“It’s the jack. Right here. If you add a little more insulation, it doesn’t vibrate the channel.”

Tobias looked around for something to serve as insulation, but before he could come up with anything, Elli already produced a roll of adaptive tape from another pocket and expertly wrapped the jack's housing.

“That’s it?”

“You gotta to test it and find out.” She said cockily, leaning her elbow on the end of a protruding counter and spinning her tape roll around her index finger. It flew off and beaned another patron who cried out. “Whoops. Sorry, I…. didn’t mean…”

Reflexively, he chucked it back at the careless engineer intending tit for tat, but Tobias caught it in flight, fixing the man with a warning glare. “She said it was an accident.” Not interested in any trouble, the man rolled his eyes and turned back around in his stool. Tobias handed Elli back her tape.

“I’ll just...” As Elli put it away and patted her pocket, Tobias smiled at her and shook his head. “What?” She prompted.

“Nothing. Let’s put the panel back on.” They sat on the floor together and reassembled the cover plate.

“Care to do the honors?” Elli motioned to the on switch.

When Tobias powered it back up and rewired it, the channels lit and the hum was mercifully gone. The bigger Grazerite sighed with relief and said under his breath, “Now if you could muffle our drummer about ninety percent…”

“Only Ninety?”

Tobias chuckled.